Safety fixture for tilting furnace



July 29, 1969 J. c. OROURKE SAFETY FIXTURE FOR TILTING FURNACE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 5, 1968 INVENTOR JOHN C. O'ROURKE ATTORNEY y1969 J. c. OROURKE 3,458,179

SAFETY FIXTURE FOR TILTING FURNACE Filed Jan. 3. 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2V/NVENTOR JOHN C. O'RUURKE ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 263--337 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A safty fixture for use with tiltingfurnaces, consisting of a barrier which is pivoted to the furnace frameand movable up and down within the confines of the furnace pit and undercontrol of the movement of the furnace. The barrier is normallyspring-urged into a position to obstruct the boundaries of the pit whenthe furnace is tilted for pouring. The barrier surrounds three sides ofthe furnace pit and has an abutment which is engageable by a projectingmember on the furnace wall when the latter is lowered into the pit forloading, thus forcing the barrier downwardly to the working platformlevel.

In the operation of tilting furnaces, there is always the danger that anoperators foot overhanging the boundaries of the furnace pit will becrushed upon lowering the furnace to loading position. It is also likelythat articles lying on the working platform surrounding the furnace pitwill be knocked into the pit when the furnace is elevated to pouringposition.

The object of the present invention is to provide a barrier whichsurrounds the furnace pit when the furnace is elevated, to preventinjury to the worker, as well as to avoid the dropping of tools andforeign matter into the pit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a barrier which is pivotedto the furnace frame and includes means controlled by the position ofthe furnace for determining the positioning of the barrier.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a barrier of thistype which is normally spring-urged into protecting position around thepit.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel featuresherein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The drawings Referring to the drawings in which numerals of likecharacter designate similar parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the barrier of the present invention inelevated or protecting position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view illustrating the furnace in pouringposition and the barrier in protecting position;

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the furnace in lowered position;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the front portion of the barrierin lowered position;

FIG. 5 illustrates a modified form of the invention embodying a torsionbar for normally urging the barrier into protecting position; and

FIG. 6 shows a modified furnace abutment.

Specification In the drawings, 10 represents the frame to which thetilting furnace 11 is pivotally connected as at 12. By means of thehydraulic ram 13, the furnace is tilted 3,458,179 Patented July 29, 1969"ice from its lower or loading position in pit 15 to the pouringposition shown in FIG. 2.

conventionally, the pits of furnaces of this type are surrounded onthree sides by an elevated working platform 14, which bounds the pit 15within which the furnace operates. Consequently, as previously pointedout, a workman on platform -14 might well have a portion of his footextending beyond the working platform when the furnace is in pouringposition, so that when it is lowered to loading position, his foot wouldbecome crushed. To avoid such a misfortune, the present inventioncontemplates the use of a substantially U-shaped barrier 16, which ispivoted at 17 to the frame 10, and normally maintained in elevated orprotecting position by suitable spring means. One form of spring meansembodies a pair of coil springs 18, best seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, whichoperate in housings 19, beneath the rear portion of the barrier 16.Here, it will be seen that the barrier, which lies within the confinesof the pit 15, is elevated at its rear end and around both sides of thepit, so as to prevent an operators foot from overhanging the pit.

Another method of accomplishing this result could be by the use of atorsion bar 20 which normally elevates the barrier as shown in FIG. 5.

Usually, tilting furnaces are provided with a furnace platform 21 whichextends entirely across the back of the furnace and partially along bothsides, being supported by braces 22 which run between the furnaceplatform and the furnace. As best seen in FIG. 4, the inner faces of the.sides and rear end of the barrier 16 are provided with angle irons 23which project inwardly and are spaced from the top edge of the barrierfor engagement by the furnace platform 21. Thus, when the furnace islowered from the position shown in FIG. 2, the furnace platform 21engages the angle irons 23 and forces the barrier 16 downwardly in thepit so that its upper edge is at floor or working level. When thefurnace is elevated to the pouring position shown in FIG. 2, the springs18 or torsion bar 20, as the case may be, cause the barrier 16 toautomatically elevate and obstruct the opening to the pit.

In the modified form of abutment shown in FIG. 6, the rear angle iron 23is surmounted by an angularly disposed plate 24 so that, when thefurnace platform 21 engages the inclined plate 24 on its downwardmovement, the plate acts as an inclined plane over which the furnaceplatform moves as it continues its downward are.

It will thus be seen that the present invention provides a protectingbarrier for the pit of a tilting furnace, which automatically moves upinto protecting position as the furnace pours and is pushed downwardlyinto unobstructing position when the furnace assumes the down position.In other words, the position of the protecting barrier is determined bythe position of the furnace.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the invention may be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art without further description, itbeing borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the detailsdisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tilting furnace pivotally supported for arcuatemovement into and out of the open upper end of a furnace pit, a workingplatform at least partially surrounding said pit, a protector for saidpit, comprising a barrier, free of said furnace and at least partiallybounding the furnace pit, means supporting said barrier adjacent theupper portion of said pit, for vertical movement from a working platformlevel to an elevated position obstructing the boundary of said pit,means normally urging said barrier toward said last-named position, andmeans responsive to the downward movement of said furnace into said pit,for lowering said barrier to unobstructing position.

2. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said barrier issubstantially U-shaped and bounds three sides of said pit.

3. A protector as claimed in claim 2, wherein said barrier is pivotallymounted.

4. A protector as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one inner surfaceof said barrier is provided with an abutment for engagement by meansattached to said furnace, for lowering said barrier.

5. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means normally urgingsaid barrier to elevated position comprise coil springs.

6. A protector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,123 9/1940 Delpech 263-50 X JOHN J. CAMBY,Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

